The IMA has demanded that the Assam government ensure exemplary punishment to the culprits. Police has taken into custody around 26 people.

Vivek Goenka, the chairman of the two associations said in a statement on Tuesday that “Nothing can justify the perpetrators' indulgence in the murderous violence and attack which was unleashed on the 73-year old doctor”. (Representative Image)

GUWAHATI: While doctors in Assam on Tuesday went on strike to protest the assault on a colleague at a tea garden that led to his death, tea estates in Assam are starring at exodus of doctor.

A senior person associated with tea industry said that as many as five doctors in the tea estates in Upper Assam have resigned from the job. "Doctors in tea estates are employed by the tea garden management. This has triggered new problem for us".

He added, “A doctor in a Tea estate in Dibrugarh has resigned and appealed to other doctors to resign as a protest. The doctor has condemned that workers body Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) is yet to condemn the killing of 73 year old doctor Deben Dutta.”

Emergency services have been kept out of the purview of the stir. 73 year Dr Deben Dutta had succumbed to his injuries after being assaulted by tea garden workers in Teok Tea Estate in Jorhat district on Saturday.

Following which Assam unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) called for a strike on September 3.

Doctors of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) took out a procession demanding justice for the slain doctor and security for medicos.

The IMA has demanded that the Assam government ensure exemplary punishment to the culprits. Police has taken into custody around 26 people.

The Assam Valley Consultative Committee of Plantations Associations (CCPA) and Tea Association of India (TAI) have also condemned the incident.

Vivek Goenka, the chairman of the two associations said in a statement on Tuesday that “Nothing can justify the perpetrators' indulgence in the murderous violence and attack which was unleashed on the 73-year old doctor”.

He said, “assault and intimidation of medical and paramedical staff of tea gardens by workers and garden residents in Assam seem to have become a frequent feature which in turn is leading to a serious dent in their morale and confidence. In May 2019, the Senior medical officer in Dikom Tea Estate in Upper Assam was brutally assaulted such incidents after the medical professionals from seeking employment in tea estates.”

He urged the Government to draw up a firm policy towards enforcing the rule of law and prevent any form of violence in tea gardens. Further, in the wake of such in conducive insecure and violence prone environment it has become practically infeasible for estate management to run the garden hospitals and high time the State Government seriously considered the take-over of the hospitals and run them under the aegis of the Central State Government Health Schemes.